ADHD in the News 2020-04-23

ADHD management during the COVID-19 pandemic: guidance from the European ADHD Guidelines Group

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is creating unprecedented challenges at every level of society. Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are particularly vulnerable to the distress caused by the pandemic and physical distancing measures, and they might display increased behavioural problems. The crisis also poses several important questions for clinicians on how best to deliver care within the new restrictions. Therefore, the European ADHD Guidelines Group (EAGG) has developed guidance on the assessment and management of ADHD during the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

Students with learning disabilities tackle online instruction

The switch from in-person to online classes has been challenging for students with learning differences like dyslexia, ADHD and autism...Jeff Baier, Rochester’s Office of Disability Resources coordinator, said that multiple DRCs have seen an increase in need from students with disabilities across the University system. However, the centers also provide access to adaptive technologies to help students, such as voice text programs, like Dragon, or visual aid programs provided by DRCs.

ADHD Rates Up in Veterans

The number of veterans being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing, according to a study published in the March issue of Medical Care. Andrew C. Hale, Ph.D., from the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan, and colleagues investigated the prevalence and incidence of ADHD in people seeking care at all primary care and mental health clinics within the VA system between the fiscal years of 2009 (FY09) and 2016 (FY16).

It took a long time to figure out how attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder presents in girls and women and the problems it can create. A pioneering study helped change that, but the condition is still often missed.

Can a Healthy Lifestyle Reduce ADHD Incidence in Children?

Children who follow key healthy lifestyle recommendations at age 10 and 11 are much less likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by age 14. In one of the first investigations of its kind, the study of more than 3000 fifth-grade students in Nova Scotia, Canada, showed that those who met at least seven of nine healthy lifestyle recommendations had a substantially lower incidence of ADHD compared to their counterparts who only met between one and three of the criteria.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Stewart H. Mostofsky, M.D., director of the Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research at Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Karen E. Seymour, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, found that a mindful movement (Tai-Chi)-based training intervention was associated with significant improvements in school-age children with ADHD and improved their ability to regulate hyperactive, impulsive and inattentive behavior.

Can Brain Scans Diagnose ADHD?

Brain imaging, using methods like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), electroencephalograph (EEG), and many others, is an important research area for ADHD. It’s also a “hot topic” with periodic excited claims in the media. The bottom line: brain imaging cannot diagnose ADHD or its subtypes.

Age matters: Paternal age and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children

In other words, the older the parent, the increased risk a child has of developing disorders such as autism, ADHD and other learning disabilities. A research team from the Department of Developmental Neuroscience at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has revealed further details about this phenomenon with their recent publication in PLOS ONE.

Struggling with attention and organization as you age? It could be ADHD, not dementia

When people share concerns with their doctor about their memory, attention, or difficulty completing tasks, they may receive a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage between normal aging and dementia. However, older adults with ADHD may never have received a diagnosis of ADHD, especially if they had learned skills to compensate during their lifetime.

Help! My Kid’s Home from College and the Novelty’s Worn Off

Just as you’ve become accustomed to an empty nest, COVID-19 forced your son or daughter to return from college. Now, both of you are working from home, plus separated from friends, community, school, and job. As you both experience heightened stress from these changes, with no clear solutions or end in sight, it’s natural to feel disappointed, confused, angry, or worried. You’re, living under the same roof, only with new stresses and growing pains.

Will Distance Learning Produce a Coronavirus Virus Slump?

Kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities (LD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often lose what they learn in school during the summer vacation. Educators refer to this backward sliding as the summer slump...Here are a few ways we can minimize the slide from online learning for kids with ADHD, ASD, and LD.